It's A Winchester Life!
by Our Eleventh Hour
Summary: drabbles, oneshots, challenges, and anything else too short to be a story! NO SLASHES! SPOILERS for all seasons
1. Soldiers And Sunburn

**Soldiers And Sunburn**

"Have you two done your training for the day?" John asked his two sons, who were both sitting on the floor. Dean was re-reading a car magazine from six months ago, while Sam was building a house out of playing cards.

"No sir." the two brothers said in unison. The oldest, fourteen, left his magazine on the ground and started searching for his sneakers in the small motel they were occupying. Sam, ten, sighed and knocked down his house of cards. After he replaced the deck in the box, he slid on his shoes. Dean eventually found his sneakers behind the bathroom door. How they'd gotten there in the first place, no one was really sure.

Just as his children were heading towards the door, John noticed the boys were only wearing shorts and shoes. The Winchester family was currently in southern Florida hunting a spirit. They couldn't risk burning the body until night fall, though.

"You boys not going to wear shirts?" John asked, knowing the answer.

"It's too hot out, Dad." Sam replied, stopping to tie his shoes.

"Seriously." Dean nodded, waiting for his little brother.

"Remember Arizona?" John raised an eyebrow, "Sunburn for a week."  
"We'll be fine." Sam rolled his eyes, standing up straight and continuing his way to the door.

"Sammy's right, Dad." Dean said, "Plus we're only going to be out there for like, an hour. If that."

"Fine, but don't come complaining to me when you can hardly walk." John shook his head as his two sons walked out the door, letting it shut loudly behind them. With a sigh, John went to the Impala and drove to the nearest general store. He was going to need a full bottle of Aloe.

~Supernatural~

"Hold still Sammy!" John ordered as the ten year old once again moved away from his father's hands. "Son if you don't stop moving I can't get the Aloe on you, it'll help your burn-"

"But Dad it hurts!" Sam complained.

"It's just gonna keep hurting, Sammy." Dean said, wishing once again he'd listened to his father an hour and a half ago. "Just let Dad put the stuff on you and we can go watch TV or something, alright?"

Sam gave him a light glare, but nodded his approval. John inclined his head towards his eldest. Dean could convince Sam to do anything.

"Ow!" Sam half-shouted, again moving away from his father.

It took another ten minutes before John was finally done putting the Aloe on his youngest son. Dean did his himself, claiming he was old enough to do it by himself. As Dean rubbed the Aloe on his shoulders, John sat in a chair.

"So when I say to put clothes on next time, what are you going to do?" John asked, crossing his arms.

"Put on clothes." Sam and Dean said in unison, a bit annoyed that their father had been right.

"What are you going to do when I say you're going to get sunburns?"

"Ask the sun to not burn us?" Sam shrugged.

**a/n: got the sunburn idea when i woke up a week ago and thought about how lucky I was that i don't burn easily :D**


	2. Pictures

A drabble challenge: Pictures

Pictures.

That's all Sam had of the people he loved. Sometimes they were reminders of the great times. Other times they were painful reminders. His parents, for example. How they were hugging each other in the picture. Sure, they loved each other. But it told him that that love was taken away by Azazel.

A picture of Jessica at her parents'. She had a life, then she met Sam and that life came to a short end.

Then was a picture of him and Dean. Dean's arm around his shoulder, Dean couldn't have been eighteen. This one was only good.


	3. One Bag Clothing

A drabble challenge: clothing

Wasn't it sad when all of your belongings could fit in one bag? Just one. That's how Sam and Dean had grown up. One duffel bag was all they were allowed to have for their clothing, books, and whatever else they could stuff in there. It was because they traveled so much. Changing schools, towns, and jobs all the time. John didn't like that his small family had to move so much, but it had to be done. They never stayed in the same place for more than a month. But that was the price he was willing to pay.


	4. Worry

A drabble challenge: motel

The Winchester boys were sitting in the motel, waiting for their father to return from hunting a werewolf.

"Dean?" nine year old Sam called out to his brother.

"Yeah?" Dean answered.

"Dad'll come back, right?"

"Of course. Doesn't he always?"

Sam nodded, accepting the answer. But he still worried, no matter how right Dean was. To be honest, Dean was just as worried as his brother was. Dean had to hide his fear, though. For Sammy. He worried about his dad each and every single time he walked out the door and left them behind. They waited. Finally, John Winchester walked through the motel door.


	5. A Promise

a drabble challenge: dreams

Sam's dreams were crushed the second he saw Jessica on the ceiling, her gut slit open and bleeding. Just like his mother. Then she was engulfed in flames that seemed to come from nowhere. He has nightmares about that night. That night his dreams literally went up in flames.

Sam would never get to marry Jessica.

He would never become a lawyer.

He would never get that 'safe' life he wanted.

But there was one thing he was sure of. Sam knew if it was the last thing he did, he would make sure the Yellow Eyed Demon was dead.


	6. Television

a drabble challenge: television

John sighed heavily. Both of his sons were dead asleep, the latest hunt taking a toll on the two Winchester boys. The father was having trouble sleeping-November was nearing. He tossed and turned for several minutes before finally getting out of bed and turning the television on.

Usually the oldest Winchester hated watching TV, ever since...well, since Sam was six-months old. But John had full view of both his sleeping boys. Nothing was going to shock him tonight. He pulled out his favorite shotgun and began cleaning it while watching a few reruns on the television. He would be ready.


	7. Candy

Every gas station Dean Winchester stopped at had candy. M&M's were his favorite, but he was open to all chocolate and other sugary goodness. Sam was always telling his older brother he was lucky he didn't get any cavities from eating so much candy. Dean claimed he was too awesome to get cavities. Growing up, Dean had mixed feelings about Halloween. Sure, there were all kinds of people giving out _free_ candy, but Halloween was a big time for witches and even those human monsters that liked messing with people and their candy. Despite the bad, Dean loved his candy.

**a/n: drabble challenge from supernatural100 over at livejournal. Sorry I haven't updated in forever, but I thought I'd start doing some short challenges until I finish my Legacy of Hunters re-write (Which I am proud to say is coming along fabulously, even if I have hit a tough spot to write.) I'm on winter break now until Jan 5, 2011…so I've got a ton of time to write.**


	8. He Felt Like Such a Failure

_He felt like such a failure_. Since he was four, Dean Winchester had had 'watch out for Sammy' drilled into his head. The sad thing was, this wasn't the first time he'd failed Sam. Now, his brother had just jumped into Hell with Lucifer, Michael, and Adam, their half-brother.

_He felt like such a failure. _

Sam made him promise to go back to Ben and Lisa. Not to look for a way to get Sam out of the pit. It took a lot of willpower, but Dean did go back to Ben and Lisa.

_He felt like such a failure._


	9. For Dean

When Sam first came up with the plan to jump straight into a hole with Lucifer in him, he was a bit relieved. Finally he had a plan that would keep Dean and Bobby safe, as well as the rest of the world. Hell, Cas would even be safer.

Sam wasn't too fond of the idea of going to Hell, but who would be? He knew Dean still had nightmares. But he wouldn't be having nightmares, though, he'd be living them.

On the days leading up to when Sam would say 'Yes', Sam had several nightmares. He was going to be stuck in a box with the Devil himself for…_ever,_ pretty much. Sure, Hell was one thing but Hell with _Lucifer_ was going to be a thousand times worse. Sam considered telling Dean he didn't want to go through with the plan but Sam knew that in the end it had to happen.

He even prayed for a solution to come—any solution besides saying 'Yes'. But, like hundreds of times previously, his prayers were not answered.

When the Impala pulled into Detroit, Sam had mixed feelings. Mainly he was scared shitless. _He was going to Hell with friggin' Lucifer!_ But he also felt…glad, in a way. The angels would stop messing with his brother. There would be no Apocalypse, no ultimate showdown between Lucifer and Michael. Dean didn't have to say 'Yes'.

His entire life Dean had been there for him, doing things for him whether he knew it or not. Dean kept away the bullies when they were in school, went to his high school graduation, played with him when they were younger, and Dean did everything he could to keep his baby brother safe.

Now, it was time for Sam to help out Dean.

It was time for Sam to do something for Dean.


	10. Disappointment

Dean knew disappointment better than most seventeen year olds did. Through the years, Dean had come face-to-face with so much disappointment. It was sad, really. But, Dean understood. His father had bigger things to deal with than remembering his son's ninth birthday. John was a busy hunter, Dean knew that.

What he didn't know was how John could forget his tenth birthday, as well as his thirteenth…and his fifteenth.

Who needs birthdays, anyway? They're just markers reminding people that they're that much closer to death. Sure, sixteen meant a driver's license but the family business included fake IDs. Dean had been 'sixteen' since he was fourteen in twenty-seven different states.

Then there was the disappointment of his father not being home on time, not even calling his sons to tell them he was running late. Add that disappointment to concern and worry that John had been hurt or killed.

The oldest son had a lot to carry on his shoulders. He loved watching Sammy, of course, but practically raising a kid when he was still a kid himself was tough. Dean Winchester had been robbed of his childhood when he was four years old. He'd wanted Sam to have somewhat of a normal childhood, but that was impossible with the life style known as hunting.

How many seventeen year olds had patched their father up after being said father had been sliced up by some supernatural creature? How many seventeen year olds had been to forty-eight states at least three times each? How many seventeen year olds could take a gun apart and then put it right back together in less than a minute?

Dean sent a glance to the clock beside his sleeping brother's bed. 3:07 AM, January 24th. Dean was officially eighteen. He sighed, wondering if his father had killed the Wendigo four states away.

Dean knew more disappointment than most eighteen year olds did.

**a/n: felt like doing another Dean centered fic. This one's all about Dean dealing with his father and how he had no normal childhood and he knows he'd never have one. Guess I just wanted to rant for Dean.**

**Have a good New Year.**


	11. Mud and the Impala

Dean really hated ghosts. All they did was whine and cry about how they died. Okay, so some of them had justified reasons but still.

Then there are the ghosts that possess things. Like mannequins. Or his baby. That was just one thing you didn't mess with. Well, that and Sammy. Not necessarily in that order, either.

You just didn't mess with the Impala, it was like an unspoken rule...and sometimes it was a very spoken rule depending on who Dean was talking to. Like Sam. Sam knew better than to open up the hood or enter the car with muddy boots, though he did have to be reminded every once in a while.

When they were growing up Dean had a feeling Sam intentionally entered the Impala with muddy boots just to piss him off. Now Sam always took his shoes off if they were caked in dirt and grime.

Then there was Castiel. The angel popped in, literally, whenever he wanted or could. Usually Dean didn't care when Cas dropped by, but the first time he popped into the Impala covered in mud Dean pulled over the vehicle and made the angel get out.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Dean demanded, ignoring the snickering from his brother.

Castiel gave him a confused look, "A woman on the street told me I should take a mud bath. I am not sure what she was talking about because I do not feel relaxed."

**Originally this was a drabble. Then I hit 103 words and thought 'What the heck?' So I kept going. Then Castiel showed up!**


	12. Grieving

**Spoilers for Season 2.**

It had been a week since his father had made the deal and Dean was nowhere near okay, not that he'd ever admit to it. He and Sam had accepted Bobby's offer to stay at Singer Salvage until the Impala was fixed. Slowly but surely, Dean was making progress with the vehicle.

While Dean worked on the car, he wasn't completely sure what Sam did. To be honest, he really didn't care at the moment. Dean was still grieving the loss of his father, he didn't need to be worried about his brother right now.

Maybe that was part of the problem. A year ago Dean would have punched himself in the face for not worrying about his baby brother. A year ago Dean would have been driving down the road, Sam by his side, searching for their father and picking up whatever job came their way.

Now...things were different. He could hardly stay in the same room as Sam. Dean had failed his brother. Hell, he'd failed himself. Since he was a kid his dad had drilled a lot of things into his head, one being 'Demons lie'. But what had he done? He'd sat there, in pain he might add, and listened to every word that spewed out of his possessed father's mouth. What kind of hunter was he?

He heard the slam of the front door of Bobby's house and tensed. Great. Either Sam or Bobby-probably Sam-was about to come out and try to convince him to grab some lunch with them and be 'sociable'.

"Hey, Dean." Sam greeted quietly, nervously. Dean continued working on his car, not acknowledging his brother. The younger hunter cleared his throat-there was that nervousness again-and said, "Bobby made some chilli for lunch. He said you didn't have to eat but you'd better eat tonight or he'd fill your backside with rock salt."

Dean gave no sign to his brother that he'd heard a word that had been said.

"You need any help-"

"Nope." Dean cut him off venomously. He hadn't meant to be so...mean, but Dean just couldn't help it.

"Are you su-"

"Positive."

Sam nodded dejectedly, put his hands in his pocket, and said, "Okay, then, I guess I'll leave you alone."

"Good." That wasn't supposed to slip out, either. The youngest Winchester returned to the house, leaving his brother with the Impala. Dean just couldn't deal with an emotional brother too, hell Sam and their father rarely got along anyway. Ever since Sam hit the teen years the two had been at each other's throats.

Shaking his head, Dean sighed to himself and continued working.

**I don't think I've written any aftermath of John's death, immediate aftermath anyway, so here it is!**


	13. Untitled Chapter

Sam was well aware Dean was hurting, hell he was too. Fuck even Bobby was hurting. The great John Winchester, the man who taught his sons everything and knew how to kill a man thirty-two ways with just three fingers, was dead. Gone. From what Sam could figure, he'd made a deal with a demon since Dean's 'miraculous' recover happened just about the same time as their father's death.

But, just because both brothers were grieving did not mean Dean had to be a jerk. Dean had been avoiding Sam and Sam to be honest was getting frustrated and depressed. Was Dean blaming him? Was Dean blaming himself? Was there something Sam could have done to avoid all of this? Maybe he should have been the one to make the deal-

No. Just...no. Deals with demons were wrong. John had taught them that over and over again, repeating it every time they came across a demon or someone who had made a deal with a demon.

Yet John had gone against everything he'd taught his sons and made a deal with a demon to save Dean.

To save Dean.

Sam had to admit he'd make a deal with every demon he could as long as he could save Dean. Hell, he'd consider making a deal for his dad too. But with Dean...there was no question about it. Sure, his big brother would be royally ticked off when he found out but...it'd be worth it. He'd gladly face his brother's wrath as long as he got to breath another day.

Dean, his hero since he was a kid, was avoiding him at all costs. Dinner, lunch, breakfast, and every moment in between was spent with Dean treating Sam as if he had a terrible disease that could be passed to him just by a look. It was insane.

Who knew one death could tear them apart in a matter of seconds? Sam wasn't even sure how it happened, or when. All he knew was Dean wouldn't talk to him, Bobby wouldn't force Dean to do anything, and Sam was completely lost.

What was he supposed to do? Should he make his own deal wtih a demon and get his dad back? If he went with the standard ten years surely he could find a way out of it. Maybe he should get Dean to spill out all his emotions...that was about as likely as the sky turning purple.

He'd give Dean some more time, but Sam would be damned if he was going to let this silence between them continue for more than a few days.

**A companion piece to 'Grieving'. Sorry for any mistakes, no spellcheck on this word pad I'm using. Also, I'd like to recommend a story for anyone interested: 'If only you could see'. A great Sam werewolf story...but he's not exactly a werewolf. It's well written and is just fantastic. Check it out if you're interested, obviously it's AU.**


	14. Watching Sam

He wasn't supposed to be here-his dad would be ticked if he found out. Dean continued to walk down the street, careful to keep his face slightly hidden but high enough so he could see. He sighed in relief when he spotted his younger brother and Sam's girlfriend, Jessica.

Dean had done a full background check on the pretty blond. She'd been born and raised in Montana, had a 3.7 GPA, was heading down the medical field, and had had chicken pox at age nine. Her parents, Julia and Marcus Moore, were back in Montana with their other daughter, Melissa. Jessica's dad was a banker and her mother worked as a secretary.

He watched as Sam smiled at something the girl said and then he laughed. It'd been almost a year since he'd heard his brother's laugh and it sent a pang through his heart. Dean swallowed and watched the couple enter a small house.

There were things he'd noticed about his brother and Dean wasn't sure if he should be happy or sad. Sam still had that tenseness about him like all hunters did, it wasn't as much as it had been a year ago but it was still there. He also noticed Sam looking discreetly over his shoulder, which was probably the feeling of being watched. It was good to know Sam's instincts hadn't died off.

He'd done a little research on his brother and felt very odd while he did it. Dean discovered Sam was choosing between two career choices: law and medical. The medical didn't surprise him one bit. Growing up, Sam and Dean had had to to do a lot medically. Sam wouldn't have too much of a hard time becoming a doctor or something. But a lawyer? That had definitely been a bit of a shock. But then again...Sam was the kind of kid who looked at everything from different perspectives. And he liked to argue. Especially with their father. A lot.

Dean sighed heavily as the front door of Sam and Jessica's little house shut.


	15. It All Comes Down to The Demon

When John Winchester did his usual check on Sam at Stanford, he was more than surprised to find out Sam was no longer enrolled at the college. The father had asked several students and teachers as to why the kid had dropped out. In some cases no one would tell him anything-some didn't believe he really was Sam's father and others just didn't know.

But eventually John found out the truth.

Sam and his girlfriend, Jessica Moore, had been sharing a place not too far away from the campus. Of course, John had known this information for about a year now when he'd done another secretive check-up on his youngest son. Then on November 2, there was a house fire.

A 'house fire'. Right. Like John hadn't heard that one before. In fact, John had almost choked on his own spit when he'd head that news.

John talked so some friends of Jessica's and Sam's and discovered Sam had left town a couple days earlier, leaving Jessica by herself in the house. All Jessica had told everyone was Sam and his brother were going to meet their dad somewhere. Which meant his boys were looking for him-not that he expected any less from Dean-and had been on the hunt for a Woman in White in Jericho.

A few neighbors reported a loud engine-The Impala-pulling into Sam's driveway in the middle of the night and Sam had entered the house. Several minutes later, 9-1-1 received a phone call from a neighboring house saying a fire had broke out.

Sam didn't deserve this, neither did his girlfriend. John had seen how happy the two were, laughing, holding hands, smiling. It reminded him so much of himself and Mary it physically hurt. Actually, it was almost as if he'd been sent back in time. A Winchester with a pretty blond, completely in love. It was heartbreaking to know that Sam was probably blaming himself with all kinds of guilt.

That was something Winchesters did, wrapped themselves with so much guilt it was hard to forget. But while Dean and John usually buried it all, Sam let the whole world know how guilty he felt-even if all he did was look someone in the eye. Expressive eyes, that was something Sam had acquired from Mary. Well, that and the ability to cut John off at the knees. No one did that better than Mary, though Sam came in at a close second.

John knew exactly how Sam was feeling, though he hadn't talked to his son in years.

Sam had a big hole in his chest where his heart used to be. The organ had been ripped out, stomped on, put through a shredder, and then stabbed a thousand times. All because of a demon. No, not _a_ demon, but _the_ demon. The demon that had ruined the Winchesters' lives since November 2, 1983. The bastard had killed Mary, leaving a hole in John's heart and two little boys without a mother. They'd been forced into a life full of revenge, injuries, a drill sargeant father that loved his kids despite what others thought, cheap motels, and crappy diners.

Life sucked. No one knew it better than the Winchester family.

John had always tried his harddest to keep his sons out of harm's way, but sometimes his best just wasn't enough. Dean and Sam had grown up hunting things the majority of the world thought were just stories. They never really had a normal life and they never would. The demon made sure of that.

**I was in a 'John Winchester' mood so decided to write a quick one-shot.**


	16. Birthdays

**In honor of Sam's birthday, though I am a day late, and my birthday, though I'm two days late, I give you: Birthdays!**

They'd stopped celebrating birthdays a long time ago. Growing up, John placed little importance on his sons' birthdays as well as his own. Sam wasn't even sure he knew when his father's birthday was, or his mother's for that matter.

When he was five he remembered Dean buying him a book. Four years later Dean got him a small cake that they shared while John was half way across the country, completely forgetting his two young sons in South Carolina while he took a job in Seattle, Washington. The brothers had always tried to make each other's birthdays as special as they could make it, despite the fact they were usually only with themselves and John was almost always gone.

From a hunting knife that took almost a full year to gain enough money to actually purchase to a few cassette tapes, Sam always tried to get Dean what he wanted. Around May 2, Dean Winchester could be seen buying books for his baby brother.

They'd stopped celebrating birthdays a long time ago, since Dean first retrieved Sam from Stanford. Now instead of books and knives, the brothers would just share looks with each other. There were a few more smiles now and much more brother time that was spent with Sam and Dean just hanging out, enjoying what remained of their family.

But that was okay. Dean and Sam really didn't care that they'd stopped celebrating birthdays a long time ago, they were together and that's what mattered.

**I wasn't a huge fan of this one, either, but...oh well. Originally I was going in a different direction but then this happened so...whatever. Reviews are extremely welcomed!**


	17. For Family

**Spoilers for 'The Man Who Should Be King'**

He'd tried so hard to defend Castiel, to try and prove Sam and Bobby wrong, but it was all for nothing. Castiel had been lying to them the whole time. He'd been working with _Crowley _the whole time damn it! How could something like this happen?

Dean took another sip of beer and sighed, trying to clear his head.

Why hadn't Cas talked to him, asked him for help? That's how things were supposed to work: you need help you ask for it.

"Shit, Cas." he muttered to himself.

He glanced to Sam who was currently preparing the circle they would soon be trapping the angel in adn felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Dean knew he shouldn't be feeling guilty but he couldn't help it-this was _Cas_ they were talking about trapping here! It just wasn't right. He was their friend...and he still was, no matter what.

Dean would make sure he helped the man he considered a brother, no matter what, because that's what family did.


	18. Lying

Sometimes Samuel Jonathan Winchester takes some time to just think about every wrong he can ever remember committing. He doesn't remember every lie or every time he's ever wronged someone, but he still feels guilty for all of it. But those are just the little things, like telling Dean that, no, Sam wasn't the one who ate the last of his candy.

Then there were the big things.

He told Jessica Moore his father was a salesman.

He told her he had learned to curse in Latin just so no one would know what he was saying and he could get away with it.

He told her his nightmares were just the everyday wake up in class in your underwear nightmares.

He told her his scars were just from him and his brother rough-housing and a car crash his family had been in.

Sam's father was an ex-Marine hunter.

Sam learned Latin so he could exorcise demons.

Sam had nightmares about supernatural creatures hurting his family.

Sam received his scars from wendigos, demons, black dogs, a shape-shifter, and when he'd been too slow when Caleb was teaching him how to fight with a knife.

Next on the list was all the times he impersonated someone, pretending to be someone he wasn't. But maybe that went with the lying things.

FBI agents.

Reporters.

Priests.

Journalists.

Collge students...which, technically, he had been a college student once upon a time so that one wasn't too far off the mark.

Ryan Dover. Ben Adams. Antonio Rodriguez-how he'd gotten away with that one he'd never know. The list of fake IDs went on and on. Usually he let Dean pick the names and make the IDs, Sam was never comfortable making up stories or people.

There were days where Sam just wanted to go around and tell everyone, "Hi, I'm Sam Winchester." but he couldn't for fear of being recognized as 'That psycho killer Dean Winchester's brother'. They were still avoiding big cities thanks to the shape-shifter incident.

But despite all the lying and the stealing, Sam still knows he's doing some good in the world. He's saving lives, like Dean always says when Sam brings lying and all the other bad things they do up in a conversation. Lying to Jess didn't save her life, though. In fact that's pretty much what got her killed. If Sam had just told her from the start maybe she'd be alive and they'd be living their lives...or she'd call him crazy and they would never talk again. But she'd be _alive_, which is better than dead any day in Sam's book.

For all the wrongs he's done, Sam Winchester still carries on like the soldier he was raised to be. Sure he doesn't have a uniform or dog tags, but Sam considers himself, as well as his brother, to be a soldier in a battle between good and evil. Whether it's a yellow eyed demon or some low level ghost, Sam's stopping them from terrorizing families.

And maybe, maybe, that makes up for all the bad things he's done.

Maybe.


End file.
